After the nightmare-complete
by katie1999
Summary: This takes place after the episode "Armed and Dangerous" where Victoria was taken hostage by two bandits in the prison who threatened to kill her if their demands were not met. After Victoria was freed by Zorro, she has to cope with the events. In desperate need for a shoulder to cry on, she chooses 'safe' Diego.
1. Chapter 1

**After the nightmare**

_Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else._

This is a follow-up story to the episode "Armed and Dangerous" in Season 3, AU version. Victoria is held hostage by two bandits in the prison. To keep Victoria safe, Mendoza agrees to give in to their demands to get weapons, horses and 10000 pesos. Diego tricks them with unloaded weapons, trained horses and a safe that he has emptied as Zorro. In the end it's easy for Zorro to free Victoria out of the hands of the bandits who threatened to kill her.

**Chapter 1**

In the night there was a slight knock at the window of Victoria's bedchamber and a few minutes later a black clad figure climbed through the window.

Victoria hadn't gone to bed yet. She was still sitting at her dressing table, trying to cope with the events of the day. Zorro had brought two dangerous bandits to prison and later, when Victoria had wanted to bail out a farmer, they had taken her hostage. Holding a sword to her throat, they had threatened to kill her if their demands for money, horses and guns weren't fulfilled.

Though the de la Vegas had provided everything, the two men had still forced her to go with them. With horror she remembered the hours she had been their hostage, and if hadn't been for Zorro to come to her rescue, she wouldn't have survived the day and would have ended up with a slit throat. But that wouldn't have been the worst.

"Victoria," Zorro smiled at her, "I wanted to see how you are! I know it has been a terrible day for you."

Zorro opened his arms, expecting her to leap into his embrace as usual, but she only stared at him.

"Please go, Zorro," she turned away from him, wrapping her shawl closer around her.

"What's wrong, Querida?" he asked, concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"

She bent her head, trying to hide her tears. "No, it's not your fault, Zorro. Please, I need to be alone!"

Gently, he put his hand on her arm, trying to make her turn around, but she shook off his hand with a flick of her arm. "Please!" she cried, as her body shook with tears.

"Talk to me, Querida," he pleaded, but she only shook her head, refusing to face him.

"I'll be there if you need me, Querida," he gave up, concerned. Victoria didn't look up, as he climbed out the window.

Z Z Z

The next morning Diego got up early after a sleepless night. Victoria's behavior last night had him very concerned, and he needed to find out what was wrong with her. If she didn't talk to Zorro, she might confide in her friend Diego.

"Diego, you're up early," Victoria greeted him, surprised, as he entered the empty tavern.

"I couldn't sleep, and I thought I'd have a coffee with you," he explained, as he eyed her critically. Victoria looked tired as if she hadn't slept at all. And there was something else that was different about her today. Despite the warm temperatures on this spring morning, Victoria was wearing a long sleeved blouse that he hadn't seen her wearing before. It covered her up to the neck without any cleavage.

"I'll have it ready for you in a minute, Diego," she said, distracted, without really looking at him as she turned around to vanish in the kitchen.

"Is something wrong?" Diego had followed her, finding her standing motionless in the kitchen center with her back to the curtain.

Victoria turned around at his words, looking at him for the first time this morning. Diego was simply standing there, and all she could see in his eyes was his concern for her. In her desperate need for someone to comfort her, she threw herself into the arms of the person she trusted the most.

Victoria had never thought that a caballero shirt with its many ruffles could be so comforting as she soaked it with her tears.

"It's alright, Victoria. Tell me, what's wrong!" Diego comforted her, holding her in his arms.

As she continued to cry, she related what had happened during the time she was held hostage by the bandits. While she had been alone with them, the men had slapped and harassed her, forcing kisses on her, touching her boldly. Fortunately for her, they had been constantly interrupted by Mendoza who had tried not to give in to their demands and with his constant new suggestions had drawn their attention away from her. If they had been undisturbed, they would have raped her in the prison. But the men had assured her that she wouldn't escape her fate when they forced her to accompany them.

Shocked, Diego listened to her report, not knowing how to handle it.

"Victoria, is there something I can do for you?"

"Can you just hold me, please?" she pleaded, clinging to his shirt.

"Why didn't you say something yesterday?" he asked, stunned, holding her tight.

Victoria shook her head. "I couldn't. It was so bad. I thought if I didn't say anything I could forget it and the memories would go away. But, I can't stop thinking about it." Her body shook again from her sobbing. "And Zorro came to me last night, too, to check on me. I sent him away."

"Did he do something wrong?" Diego had puzzled all night about her reasons for sending him away. "He saved you from the bandits!"

She shook her head again. "No. It wasn't him. It was me. He wanted to hold and kiss me, but I couldn't have him touch me. Not after _they_ touched me and forced _their_ kisses on me. I don't want anyone to touch me!" she declared.

"Is that why you're wearing this shirt?"

She nodded into his chest. "I don't want anyone's hands on me or touch my skin."

"But, you're letting me hold you?" Diego was confused.

Victoria raised her head to look at him. "I know I can trust you," she whispered. "You've always been like a brother to me, and you never tried to take advantage of me or kiss me."

Diego suppressed a sigh. Victoria had no idea how much he wanted her and that he dreamed of kissing her. It took all his control to stay calm in her presence.

"Did I say something wrong, Diego?" Victoria asked, anxiously, when she saw his face.

"No, it's alright, Victoria," he assured her. "You can trust me, and I'm here for you." He held her tight again, relieved that she couldn't see his face as he tried to fathom the consequences of the situation. Victoria needed him now to act around her as a brother and he would be there for her, even if it strained his control to the limit. If he couldn't help her as Zorro, he would do so as Diego. It had been his idea to pay the bail for the farmers that had brought her into that situation.

"Thank you, Diego," she whispered, relieved.

"Why don't you take a break today and let your helpers take care of the tavern for a change?" Diego suggested. "Come with me to the hacienda. Nobody will bother you there."

Victoria shook her head. "I can't simply leave. There is too much to do, and the work distracts me."

"It's still early, there are no guests yet. We can go for a walk. It will relax you," Diego wanted to find something to help her and to distract her.

"I don't have much time," she hesitated. "I need to take care of the dishes." She grabbed a few dirty plates from the table and dropped them in the sink filled with water. "Ugh!" she exclaimed. She had forgotten that she was wearing long sleeves today, and now they were wet at the wrists and further up her arms from the water in the sink.

"Don't you want to change?" Diego asked when she ignored her wet sleeves. "It's not very comfortable."

"It's alright, it will dry quickly." Victoria rolled up her sleeves up to her elbows.

Diego stared at her bare arms. "What happened to your arms? They are red all over as if you tried to rub off the skin. Did you do that?"

Ashamed, she looked away. "I feel so dirty, so used. I wanted to get rid of the dirt where they touched me, but I couldn't get it off. I tried and I tried." She burst into tears again, wrapping her arms around herself. She reached for the neckline of her blouse, making sure it was properly in place, covering her up to the neck. Her gesture made him question why she was so intent on covering herself and a shocking image came to his mind.

"Does your neckline look the same?" he asked, horrified, as he imagined her trying to rub off the memories from her skin. Victoria didn't answer and turned her eyes to the ground.

Aghast, Diego looked at her. "Victoria, it wasn't your fault. Don't feel like this." Gently, he put his arms around her again, rocking her like a child.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I never felt so helpless. I should have tried to run, but they threatened cut my throat if I tried to escape. I was so afraid they'd kill me."

"You must believe me, Victoria. There was nothing you could do. They would have killed you! It wasn't your fault! All that matters is that you're safe now," he soothed her, simply holding her in his arms. Victoria relaxed a bit, leaning her forehead on his chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more. It was my fault you were in this situation at all. If I hadn't had that idea to bail out the farmers, they would never have taken you hostage." And as Zorro he had brought the bandits to prison in the first place, Diego added silently to himself.

"You did enough, Diego. You helped Zorro capturing the bandits by giving them guns without gunpowder and training your horse."

"Come with me for a walk in the woods. It will help you. At least it helps me when I'm troubled." Before she could object further, he went to the front door and put the closed sign on, locking the door. Motioning her outside, he did the same with the back door.

Victoria followed his lead as he walked with her into the woods that started right behind the mission. Occupied by her thoughts, Victoria didn't pay much attention to the uneven ground between the trees that was covered with roots, and she almost fell after she had stumbled twice already.

Not trying to touch her, Diego offered her his hand to steady her. Victoria stared at him for a moment as if she was evaluating again if she could trust him, but then she took the hand he offered. Diego closed his hand around hers, firmly and yet gently. Although she found her footing after a while, she made no attempts to retreat her hand again. Diego glanced at her curiously and surprised, but made no comments on it.

Walking silently side by side, holding hands, they both tried to cope with the situation. Victoria failed in her attempt to block out the events of the previous day from her mind, and her hands clenched to fists. Diego squeezed her hand in return, assuring her of his support while his own thoughts were in turmoil.

What Victoria had told him had shocked him deeply, and he felt helpless, seeing her in pain. To lift the mood he started to talk about the birds he spotted in the trees. Victoria listened, interested, grateful that he didn't ask her more questions and let her mind rest by distracting her with talk about birds and other things to see in the woods.

Mostly walking in silence, they made their way back to the tavern an hour later.

"Thank you, Diego," Victoria faced him, before they reached the tavern again. Only now she noticed that they had been holding hands the whole time. "You were right, the walk helped. But now, I must get back to work." Her face became somber again. "My helpers will be curious why I haven't opened yet."

"You're welcome, Victoria." Diego hugged her again, creating a grateful smile on her face. He wanted to hold her, caress and kiss her, but it would only scare her off at the moment, and he didn't want her to lose her trust in him.

"Will you be alright?" She nodded, though he didn't quite believe her. "Are you sure you don't want to come to the hacienda for a few days?"

"I can't run away, Diego," she sighed. "I have a tavern to maintain and the memories won't leave so easily. When I'm busy, I don't have to think." Talking about it, brought the tears back into her eyes. Diego quickly pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

"Keep it, until I come back again later. You still owe me a coffee." His remark made her smile at him.

"You'll get your coffee whenever you want. I owe you much more than that for being here for me today, Diego."

"De nada. I'm glad that you confided in me, and I won't betray your trust." He almost reached out to kiss her hand, but he couldn't do that as Diego, and especially not now, when she was scared of any touch.

Z Z Z

Alejandro was surprised to see his son entering the hacienda before noon.

"Is something wrong, Diego?" he asked when he saw his face. "Why are up this early? That's quite unusual for you! Have you been to the pueblo already? I was planning to go there and check on Victoria."

"I have already done that. The kidnapping yesterday has afflicted her more than she made us believe. I don't think you should distress her more by asking her about it." Diego said firmly. "She made clear she would rather be left alone."

Astonished and worried, Alejandro looked at his son. "Maybe she wants to stay a few days at the hacienda?"

"I already asked her, and she refused. If you want to help her, just don't question her. It's difficult enough for her."

It was obvious that Diego knew more than he was willing to share. Alejandro looked at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry, Father, but I can't tell you more. Victoria talked to me, but I can't relay what she told me in confidence."

"Then I won't question you anymore. I trust your judgment concerning Victoria."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next day Diego returned before she opened the tavern to her customers in the morning, finding her in a somber mood again. Without saying a word, he simply took her in his arms, and she relaxed in his embrace, and there were no tears this morning.

"Feeling better?" he asked softly.

Victoria nodded. "Thank you, Diego. It's only because I'm tired. The night is worst. The pictures come back to my mind. I feel the sword on my throat again and what they did and said... I couldn't fall asleep again last night..."

Victoria started to cry, finding herself soaking the ruffles of his shirt again with her tears. Feeling helpless, Diego waited for her to calm down.

"Anything I can do for you?"

"Would you .. Would you..," she hesitated.

"Yes?"

"Would you take a walk with me again?" she asked self-consciously. "Yesterday, you showed me that woodpecker, building his nest in the tree. Maybe we can already see some progress?"

"Sure, why not?" Surprised by her request, Diego agreed.

Once again, they headed for the woods. As soon as they reached the trees, Victoria slipped her hand into Diego's. Surprised, he looked at her, but he didn't say anything, when she looked at him pleadingly, only squeezed her hand reassuringly, expressing his support.

Not talking very much, as they were both tired from a sleepless night, they walked for a while until they spotted the woodpecker again. They had heard him from quite a distance away. For a time they observed him before they slowly returned to the tavern.

Z Z Z

The following days, Diego spent a lot of time in the pueblo and with Victoria. He got up early to talk with her and have coffee and talk with her before she opened the tavern. As she had trouble sleeping in the night when the nightmares haunted her, she enjoyed his comforting embrace in the kitchen when he greeted her each morning. When time allowed it, and Victoria didn't have some overnight guests who wanted breakfast, they repeated their walk through the woods, always holding hands now.

A few days later, Alejandro accompanied Diego into the tavern and was astonished when Diego took her in his arms for a greeting as was their familiar habit.

"You look better today, Victoria. It's a nice blouse," Diego complimented her when he released her from his hug, noticing that she no longer wore one of her long sleeved blouses.

"Thank you, Diego." After a week her skin was no longer red and sore as it was when she had hurt herself, trying to rub off the feeling of the men touching her in a desperate attempt to get rid of the haunting memories. There was no more need to conceal it under the long sleeves that were very unpractical for washing dishes and working in a kitchen.

"I'm sorry. I don't have much time today, Victoria," Diego apologized. "My father and I are on our way to a bull auction."

"It's all right, Diego," she assured him. "I have overnight guests who want their breakfast, and I am very busy, too. Tomorrow it will be better when there is no market."

"We won't be back before tomorrow night," Diego informed her sadly

"Oh. Yes, I understand." Diego could see that she was disappointed, and inwardly he felt elated that she would miss him. "I wish you both a successful auction, Don Alejandro, Diego."

Z Z Z

"What is going on between you and Victoria?" Alejandro asked Diego later on their ride to the auction in Santa Paula.

"Nothing, Father," Diego dismissed his father's suspicions. "Victoria still suffers from the kidnapping, and she is in need of a friend right now."

"A friend?" Alejandro raised his eyebrows. "You are just friends?"

"What else do you expect?" Diego shrugged with a blank face, hiding his emotions. "I'm like a brother to her."

Z Z Z

About two weeks after the kidnapping, Zorro delivered some bandits to the prison, and on his way back he saw light in the tavern although it was just past midnight. Taking a chance, he slipped into the kitchen where Victoria was sitting at the table and polishing glasses.

She was staring at a glass without seeing it, and when he quietly whispered, "Victoria," she was startled and the glass slipped out of her hands. It would have shattered on the floor if Zorro hadn't caught it in time. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to give you a fright," he apologized, putting the glass back on the table.

"Zorro!" With wide eyes Victoria stared at him, rising from her chair.

"You're working late, Victoria. Why aren't you in bed at this late hour?"

"I can't sleep," she whispered, still staring at him.

"I heard that you're having a difficult time, trying to cope with the kidnapping," he said softly. "I only came to tell you that I'm here for you." Zorro took her hand and raised it to his lips, but before he could bestow a kiss, Victoria quickly pulled back her hand, hiding it behind her back.

"Go, Zorro, please go!" With wide eyes she stared at him, retreating backward until she was stopped by the table, stumbling over a chair. Turning her back to him, she braced her arms on the table and with her head bent she waited for him to leave. Victoria didn't hear him go, but when she turned around again, the kitchen was empty.

Zorro knew he should return to the cave right now, as the lancers would be searching for him in the pueblo, but he needed to find out the reason for Victoria's behavior. It appeared she was still frightened of Zorro when he had simply assured her of his support. What was wrong?

Hiding Toronado in the stables where the horse was hard to distinguish among the other horses in the darkness, he returned to his newspaper office where he had an extra set of clothes stored. Changing quickly, he crossed the plaza and went over to the tavern, knocking at the back door.

"The tavern is closed," he heard Victoria's muted reply from the inside.

"Victoria? Are you there? Is everything alright? It's me, Diego!"

Surprised, Victoria opened the door. "Diego? What are you doing here at this time?"

"I returned to the office after dinner because I had forgotten something, and I must have fallen asleep," he lied. "I was on my way home when I saw the light in the kitchen. Are you alright? Have you been crying?" Diego registered her tear stained face, concerned.

"I'm fine, Diego," she tried to brush it off. "There's no need to worry."

Diego silently looked at her, and in his eyes she could read that he didn't believe her. When he opened his arms, she found herself crying at his chest again, her face buried in the ruffles of his shirt.

"Tell me what's wrong, Victoria!" Diego held her in his embrace.

"I couldn't sleep and just like you, Zorro saw the light and came here. I sent him away." She started to cry more. "I think I have lost him," she said despairingly. "What can I do, Diego?"

"Why did you send him away? Don't you love him anymore?" Diego inquired, his heart hammering.

"I still love him, but I can't see him any longer – at least not now."

"Why not? He loves you!" Diego was confused.

"Yes, he loves me, but, that's the problem. He loves me as a woman – he wants to kiss me." Diego remembered how she had retreated when Zorro wanted to kiss her hand. "I don't want any man to kiss me – not even kiss my hand." Victoria looked at him, trying to make him understand.

"What about me? I'm a man, too!"

"But you don't count. I trust you."

He didn't know if he should be disappointed or angry or relieved about that. It was a mixture of feelings. He was disappointed that Victoria _saw him only as a brother instead of a man_, angry at himself for starting this double life, and relieved that she confided in him and let him help her and hold her! It felt good to have her warm body in his arms and hold her tight.

Diego now had the answers he had come for, but he wasn't sure he liked them. Remembering Toronado, he released her from his embrace.

"I'm sure that you won't lose Zorro's love so easily. Give it time, Victoria, and soon everything won't look so bleak anymore, and you'll be able to accept his love again," Diego assured her.

"I hope it won't be too late by then," she cried.

"If he really loves you, he will wait for you. Trust me, Victoria."

Consoled a bit, Victoria nodded. "I hope you are right. Thank you, Diego, for being here for me and trying to lift my mood. It was fortunate that you were in the pueblo so late," she smiled at him. "I don't know how you always manage to be there when I need you the most."

"You can always count on me, Victoria. Buenas noches!"

"Buenas noches, Diego."

In the office Diego changed back into Zorro's clothes and rode back to the cave. While he took care of his faithful stallion, grooming and feeding him, Diego thought about the evening and his encounters with Victoria.

If he hadn't tried to kiss her hand as Zorro, Victoria wouldn't have sent him away, but would it have changed anything? Victoria wanted to keep Zorro at a distance until she had overcome her shock from the kidnapping. But for how long? Could he keep his distance from her as Diego?

And if she never recovered? Did she even want Zorro back? Zorro could never give her the safety and the family she longed for. What if she changed her mind and was forever lost to him? More and more questions came up his mind, troubling him.

Too tired to think, he finally went to bed, dreaming of Victoria, how she sent him away as Zorro and cried in Diego's arms the next minute, mixing up his alternate persons until it all became a blur, and everything turned into a nightmare where Victoria shied away from him, both as Zorro and as Diego.

Z Z Z

In the next couple of weeks, as before, he spent a lot of time with Victoria as Diego, but when he came to the pueblo as Zorro, he kept his distance to her. Though Zorro still greeted her politely, he no longer approached her or singled her out. Zorro's changed behavior led to gossip that they had split up, but Victoria refused to comment on it.

When Diego talked with Victoria about Zorro, she told him that she was relieved Zorro was staying away. It gave her the respite she needed at the moment, since she wasn't comfortable having a romantic relationship with anyone right now.

She was worried that Zorro wouldn't wait for her, but there was nothing she could do about it, except to hope that he loved her enough to understand and to wait for her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

For a few days Diego was busy chasing bandits as Zorro, and he didn't have time to come to the tavern and spend time with Victoria. When he entered the tavern three days later shortly before noon, his eyes instantly searched for Victoria, but the sight of her had him shocked. She was standing at the bar and a stranger was kissing her.

"What is going on here?" Angrily, he pulled the man away from Victoria. "Get away from her now!" Diego growled at the man.

"I offered her a kiss and the Señorita agreed," the man defended himself before he quickly retreated under Diego's stare. "I didn't know she was your girl."

"I think we need to talk, Victoria." Not hiding his anger, he took her by the arm and guided her with big strides into the kitchen, making her almost run to keep up with him. "Now tell me what is going on!" Diego released her once they were alone, facing her angrily with his arms crossed on his chest.

"All these days you tell me you don't want to be touched by anyone and now you let yourself be kissed by a stranger! What has gotten into you?"

Victoria was scared by his anger, and she broke out in tears. "I'm sorry, Diego. I don't know what happened. I felt so alone the last days and I thought ... I thought...," she spluttered.

"You thought what?" Diego asked, his voice icy.

"I thought I would feel myself again and feel loved," she tried to explain.

"And did it help?"

"No, it didn't!" she cried. "I felt nothing, nothing at all."

"I have tried to protect you, Victoria, but I can't protect you from your own foolishness. That's something you must do yourself," Diego said, still furious with her. Without another word he left her standing in the kitchen and she heard the slamming of the tavern door and through the kitchen window she saw him ride away quickly.

"Don Diego is right," her helper commented, who had heard their last words, "you acted very foolishly today."

Victoria nodded, her eyes full of tears. "I need to apologize to him. Please excuse me!"

In her haste to catch up with Diego, she didn't take the time to get the cart ready, but instead she only saddled her horse as fast as possible. Though she could never catch up with his Esperanza, she urged her horse to a fast pace giving neither herself nor her horse a break until she reached the de la Vega hacienda. Exhausted and crying, she knocked at the door.

"Victoria, has something happened?" Concerned, Alejandro looked at her as he opened the door. "Have you been riding fast? You're out of breath! Come in, take a seat and then you can tell me what happened." Alejandro led her into the parlor and motioned her to sit down on the couch.

"Please, Don Alejandro, I need to talk to Diego. Is he here?" Victoria looked around, hoping to spot him.

"Diego was here a short time ago, but he already left again." Alejandro pressed a glass with water into her hands, urging her to drink.

"Did he say when he'll return?" she asked anxiously, after she had drunk part of the glass.

"I don't know, Victoria. I saw him ride away, and it may be some time before he returns." Alejandro refilled the glass. "Why don't you tell me what is so urgent? What happened?"

"I did something very stupid today, and Diego was angry at me. I need to apologize to him," she explained, not going into details.

"Do you really want to wait, Victoria?" Alejandro asked, concerned about her troubled state. "I could tell Diego that you were here and send him to you."

"No," Victoria shook her head, "I don't want to leave until I've talked to Diego."

Diego didn't come back from his ride until late afternoon, but Victoria wouldn't leave her seat on the edge of couch though Alejandro tried to make her relax.

Z Z Z

Victoria rose from the couch facing him anxiously when Diego entered the parlor.

"Victoria, my father told me you have been waiting for me the whole afternoon. I would have returned earlier if I had known you were here."

"Diego, I came to apologize about my behavior this morning. You were right. I was foolish. Forgive me? I can't lose you!"

Diego simply opened his arms, and she rushed into them. "Victoria, I must apologize too. I shouldn't have talked so harshly to you like that. I had no right to criticize you."

Relief overwhelmed her, and she began to cry. "But, you were right, Diego! You stopped me from making an even bigger mistake. I was so afraid I had lost you, and I can't bear that."

"It's all right, Victoria. I'm here for you and you won't lose me that easily," Diego soothed her, but she couldn't stop crying, now that the tension had left her. She couldn't remember how she had gotten back on the couch, wrapped in Diego's arms.

"You must get tired of me soaking your shirt," she sobbed between tears, unable to stop crying.

"I realize you've been through a lot recently," he assured her. "Give yourself time."

"Ever since that awful day I felt so numb inside. I wanted to feel something again and I thought that was the right way. Would you ...?" She interrupted her sentence when she felt him stiffen and stare at her.

"Victoria, give it time." he said. "Don't try to force anything. You need to forgive yourself first, before you are ready for love again. It wasn't your fault what the men did to you, and you need to accept that." For a moment he looked as if he wanted to kiss her, but instead he brushed a strand of hair from her face, tenderly caressing her cheek.

Feeling confused, she buried her face at his chest, trying to sort out her feelings. In the recent weeks she hadn't wanted anyone to touch her, but now she was craving for some tenderness. She wished he had rested his hand on her cheek a little longer. His small caress had made feel warm inside for the first time again, and she wanted to be near to him. With her arms around his neck, she relaxed again, breathing in his scent, feeling safe and warm. Exhausted from the high strung tension and her crying, she fell asleep in his arms.

Diego felt her breathing evenly in his arms, as she clung to him in her sleep. "Everything will be alright," he whispered softly, though she couldn't hear him. "I love you, Victoria." She didn't wake up when he swept her up into his arms and carried her into one of the guest rooms, laying her down on the bed and covering her with a sheet.

Z Z Z

"You love Victoria, don't you, Diego?" his father stated later when they met in the library. "I have seen how you looked at her. Why didn't you say something before?"

Diego shrugged. "She needs a friend more now than a lover. I would do anything for her."

"Anything?" his father stared at him surprised.

"Anything!" Diego confirmed.

"How long have you loved her?"

"Ever since I came back from Spain."

"That long?" Surprised, Alejandro stared at Diego, as if he saw him for the first time, wondering how far his son would go for his love. "I think her heart already belongs to you, Diego, though she hasn't admitted it to herself. She wouldn't have been so upset about your fight if she didn't have deep feelings for you."

"She still needs more time to become herself again. She hasn't recovered from the kidnapping yet."

"You will make a fine couple once you have sorted out your feelings for each other, Diego. I'll be happy to have Victoria in the family." Alejandro patted him encouragingly on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Father." Diego smiled, hoping he was right about Victoria loving him.

Z Z Z

Victoria woke up much later when a servant came into her room.

"Buenas noches, Señorita. I hope I didn't wake you up. Don Diego ordered me to look for you and bring you something to eat." The maid pointed at the tray with food sitting on a table in the large guest room.

"What time is it?" Victoria asked, confused.

"It's past dinner time, Señorita. Don Diego and his father already went to bed. You must have been very tired that you slept so long."

"Yes, I haven't slept that well in weeks." Victoria admitted. "And now I'm hungry." She sat down at the table with the dinner the maid had brought her.

"I will come back later and take away the dishes. Don Diego told me to bring you everything you need." Victoria smiled at that. Diego always took such good care of her. She vaguely remembered being held by his strong arms when he carried her to her room.

The next morning after breakfast Diego brought her back to the pueblo.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Three days later Diego asked Victoria if she had warm clothing.

"Warm clothing?" Victoria asked him confused. "It's spring time now and it's getting warmer every day. Why would I need warm clothing? I have a cloak that I only wear on cold winter days and a pair of boots that I wear in winter. Why are you asking, Diego?"

Diego grinned mischievously. "I want to take you on a trip tomorrow. There is no market and your helpers will get along without you for a day."

"A trip, Diego?" Victoria's curiosity was piqued now. "Where will we go?"

"It's a surprise, Victoria," he grinned.

"You must tell me where we're going, Diego, please."

"You're coming with me?"

"Yes, I will make the time," she agreed. "Now, that I have another helper, it's easier for me to take a day off. So, where are we going? You must tell me because I have agreed!"

"Surprise, surprise. I'll pick you up an hour after dawn. And you need to wear riding clothes, the warmest you have."

"You're such a tease, Diego!" she punched him on his chest, but he laughed at her, feigning hurt.

Z Z Z

The next morning Diego led her high into the mountains that surrounded Los Angeles. Though the temperatures were already getting warm in the pueblo, the mountains were still covered in snow.

Victoria had never seen real snow before. The few snowflakes that made it to the pueblo each year melted instantly before they could reach the ground.

As soon as they reached the first snow, Victoria dismounted to feel the unusual stuff. "It's fluffy and colder than when it falls down from the sky," she marveled. "And it's colder than I remembered from the one time it snowed in Los Angeles."

Diego grinned. "There is even more snow farther up the mountains. We need to ride a little bit further."

"Where are we going, Diego?"

Diego motioned her to remount and urged his horse forward and they rode on for some more time with the snow getting deeper while the air was getting colder.

At a small hut Diego stopped and they dismounted, leading the horses to a shelter in the back.

"What's this hut?" Victoria followed Diego inside.

"It belongs to my family. My father had it built for my mother and they used it as a retreat when they wanted to be alone. Each winter, my parents went here with me for a few days and we had much fun here. My father stopped going here after my mother died." Diego's face was somber for a moment as he recalled his mother's death.

"Have you been here on your own since then?"

"No, I haven't been here for years. My father wouldn't let me come here alone in the years before I went to Madrid, and I had completely forgotten it. For some reason I remembered it a few days ago and I checked on it before I suggested that we go here. The hut is still in good condition and everything is almost as my parents left it on their last visit. Of course, the supplies had to be replaced, but we have brought our own food."

"Why did you bring me here, Diego?"

"Because it's good for you to see something else for a day and have some fun." Diego smiled at her.

"Fun? What fun?" Victoria inquired curiously. "What do you do in the snow? I have never seen real snow. It's different from the snow in Los Angeles where it never covers the ground. It's much colder and heavier."

"Come. I'll show you!" Diego took her by the hand and went to the back of the shed. Removing a cover, Diego pulled out a wooden construction that Victoria hadn't seen before. "What's that? Why is it curved and why does it have iron fittings on it?"

Diego grinned. "It's a sled and the curved bottoms are called runners." Carrying the sled in on hand, Diego led her to a slope at the back of the hut.

"The sled is still in a good condition and we can give it a try." Diego pointed at the slope that had a free area covered with snow and continued between some trees farther down. "This was my favorite spot to start sledding when I was a child. With the sled I went all the way down the hill and then I had to climb up again. When I was still a little boy, my mother sat behind me, and we went down together."

"Isn't it quite steep? How do you stop?" Victoria asked, when she sat down in the front of the sled that was barely large enough for both of them to sit on it.

Diego sat down behind her and wrapped one arm around her and with the other hand he grabbed the rope that was attached to the front. "Put your feet up on the sled and off we go!"

"You haven't told me yet how to stop it," Victoria objected, but Diego had already given it a shove with his feet, and the sled accelerated its speed on the way down.

"This is fast," Victoria exclaimed as they sled down the hill. "It's fun!"

"I told you so!" Diego smiled at her cheek.

"There's a tree!" Victoria cried out. "We're aiming at a tree! Stop it! We must stop!"

"We can't stop. There is no way to stop it. We must get off!"

The sled was going down very fast, heading directly at a tall tree in the center of the slope. Other trees next to it made it impossible to steer around the obstacle. Victoria thought they would crash into the tree, but Diego pulled them both off the sled and they landed side by side in the snow. The sled continued its drive and crashed into the tree.

"The tree wasn't there the last time I went down here," Diego complained. Victoria couldn't help herself and broke out in a gale of laughter.

"The tree wasn't there! Oh, Diego, this is so funny! The tree wasn't there!" Victoria held her belly from laughter. "You haven't been here for fifteen years and now you complain about a tree that suddenly appeared."

Diego looked a bit offended at first when she laughed at him, but then he joined her. "It is kind of funny, Victoria. I should have checked the slope first."

"Of course, Mister Perfect. Who could have expected a tree to appear so _suddenly_! How dare that tree grow on your favorite slope." She continued to laugh with tears in her eyes from laughter.

Diego grinned at her maliciously. "Are you making fun of me, Señorita Escalante?" He crawled closer to her spot in the snow.

"I can't help it. Oh, I haven't laughed that much in years, Diego. What are you up to, Diego?" she registered the look on his face.

Diego punched into the snow with his arm and a cloud of snow went into her direction covering her face. "You want to play, Diego?" she challenged him. "I can do that too!" She grabbed a handful of snow and threw it in his direction.

At bit surprised by her instant reaction, he couldn't evade the snow in time, and it landed in his face.

"It's called a snowball fight, Victoria." He got up and formed a snowball, throwing it in her direction, making sure she wasn't hit.

"Can't you do better, Diego?" Victoria had gotten to her feet to copy him. She was a quick learner and soon they had a snowball fight in full swing. Victoria laughed when she managed to hit him, but often Diego ducked in time to evade it and returned it with a snowball to hit her legs or feet.

They stopped when they were finally cold and exhausted. "This was so much fun, Diego." Victoria smiled broadly. "And that look on your face when there was the tree. It was priceless." Diego grinned at her happy face.

Z Z Z

In the hut they made hot tea to get warm again and ate the food they had brought.

"I never knew hot tea could taste so good," Victoria held the mug in both hands to warm her hands. "My fingers are frozen from the snow, but it was so much fun. I never heard of a snowball fight before. You must practice on your aim, Diego. You missed me most of the time."

Diego smiled. "I don't care that my snowballs went astray. I still got my revenge for your hits when one them hit a snow covered overhanging branch and all the snow fell on you."

"I could almost believe you did that on purpose, Diego, if your aim wasn't so bad."

Diego only grinned. "Are you ready for more fun?"

"What else have you planned for us?" she asked curiously.

Diego opened a small cabinet and pulled out a pair of boots. At a closer look Victoria recognized a pair of boots for women that had some iron blades attached to them.

"These skating shoes belonged to my mother and they should fit you. Try them on."

Victoria removed her own boots and slipped into the boots that Diego handed her.

"And?" Diego looked at her expectantly.

"I have a little more space at my toes than in my normal shoes, but they fit." Victoria rose to her feet and started to sway. "How can you stand on these small blades?"

Diego put his hands on her upper arms and stabilized her.

"It's not so bad after the first few minutes, Victoria. It's important that the boots are very tight around your ankles. Can you stand?"

Victoria held onto Diego's arms until she had found her equilibrium again. "I can stand, but I need to get used to it." Then she noticed her new perspective. "I'm much taller with these boots on. I can look over your shoulder now."

"You'll learn quickly to walk on them. I will wear skates too, so your head will only reach my shoulder as usual," Diego smiled at her. "We need to walk a short distance, but it's better if we wear our normal boots until we get there."

Diego waited for Victoria to put on her normal boots, before he grabbed his own skates and led her outside.

"We have to walk a little uphill to reach the little lake that is hidden between those trees over there."

Diego pointed to a rocky ledge that was covered with trees.

"A lake? What do you want with a lake? It's much too cold to go swimming or sit outside."

"Have you ever seen a frozen lake? The water is crystal clear and you can look down to the bottom."

"That sounds marvelous." Victoria took Diego's arm and together they walked through the deep snow, making grinding sounds with their boots. "Everything is so quiet here," she whispered. "Except for the sound of our own steps there is no sound here. It's so different from the noisy pueblo. Everything is covered with snow. The sun reflecting on the snow is almost blinding. It's a wonderland that I never imagined."

"Wait until we get to the lake," Diego smiled at her childlike excitement. "We'll be there soon."

They walked through a row of trees that opened to a clearing with a small lake in the center. The lake was free from snow and the ice glittered in the sun like polished glass. "It's blinding, Diego. I have never seen a frozen lake." She crouched down at the edge to touch it. "It's cold and much harder than I thought."

"It's solid enough to walk on it. I checked it when I came here before. That's why we brought the skates."

Following Diego's example she sat down next to him on the side of the lake and put on her boots. Diego showed her how to pull the laces tight enough that her ankles were fixed in the boots, before he put on his own skates.

Victoria almost fell when she stepped on the ice, but Diego caught her. "It's very slippery, Diego. How do you expect me to walk on the ice with the skates under the boots?"

Patiently, Diego showed her how to slide on the ice, supporting her with his arm. After a short while Victoria felt confident enough to make a few steps on her own, gliding slowly over the ice. As a way to practice the steering on the skates, she tried to carve the figure 8 into the ice as Diego had suggested. He let her practice on her own while he appeared to glide effortlessly across the ice.

"I thought you haven't been here, since you were a child?" Victoria admired his agility and how elegantly he was skating across the ice.

Diego laughed. "It's like riding, Victoria. Once you have learned the moves, you'll never forget them. It feels as if I have never been away. You're making great progress, Victoria."

As Victoria gained more practice and became more stable on her skates, she abandoned her figure 8 and followed Diego on his circuit around the lake. In her effort to catch up with him, she increased the speed of her slides, skating faster and faster across the ice, enjoying the speed that gave her a feeling of freedom with the wind blowing in her hair and the ice reflecting in the sun.

"This is wonderful, Diego," she exclaimed when she reached the spot where he was waiting for her. Victoria wanted to slow down to stop at his side, but then she realized that she had no idea how to do it.

"How do you stop, Diego?" she yelled. "I don't know how to stop! Please, help me!" She skated past his position, unable to stop in her forward momentum on the slippery ice.

Diego set on after her and quickly overtook her. When he was in front of her, he turned around to face her while he continued to skate backwards, matching her speed.

"Jump, Victoria," he commanded, as he slowed down a bit, opening his arms. "I will catch you!"

Shortly, before she was crushing into him, he yelled "Now!" and she tried to jump, not knowing if one could jump on skates at all. Diego caught her easily in his arms, holding her tight. Instead of setting her down again, he used the momentum to spin them both around fast.

"Diego, stop! I'm getting dizzy," she yelled, when he increased the speed of their spinning.

"Look at me, Victoria!" he commanded. "Don't look around and you won't get dizzy. Let the world turn around us while we're standing still."

As she followed his instructions and fixed her eyes on his face, she experienced what Diego was talking about. Suddenly, it appeared as if it was the world turning around them and the only thing standing still were the two of them looking into each others eyes.

"It feels like flying," she whispered, holding onto him. "It's wonderful."

"Yes, it is, and for this moment we are the only people in the world," Diego smiled at her, continuing to spin rapidly for a few more moments before slowing down their spinning until they came to a halt.

"Everything is spinning in my head, and I feel dizzy," Victoria leaned against him for support until the dizziness in her head stopped. "It was so wonderful, and I'd wish we could do that in Los Angeles too, but we have no frozen lakes."

"You don't need frozen lakes to get this feeling, Victoria. Have you ever danced a Viennese waltz?"

"No, I haven't, but it sounds like something wonderful that I'd like to try, and it appears to be much safer than these skates, walking on normal shoes."

"Do you want me to show it to you, Victoria? I think my father can be persuaded to play for us on the piano."

"I'd love to learn it, Diego," she beamed at him. "I never knew one could feel so free than at this moment when the world was turning around us. Thank you, for showing it to me." She stretched her legs to kiss him on the cheek.

They continued skating side by side across the ice, laughing and talking until Victoria got cold and it was time to leave. Carrying their skates, they walked back the path to the hut, their cheeks burning from the cold, smiling happily. After another hot tea in the hut, they rode back to Los Angeles, reaching it shortly after dusk where Alejandro was waiting for them to join him for dinner.

Z Z Z

During dinner Victoria talked a lot of the adventures of the day and of the winter wonderland that she had never seen before. When she recounted their near encounter with the tree during their sledding, she broke out in laughter again. "Don Alejandro, you should have seen Diego's face. We were sledding down the hill and suddenly there was a tree on his favorite slope. How dare he grow there in the last fifteen years!"

"I think we need a new sled before we can have a new try on a different slope." Diego smiled.

"And you need to check the slope first," Victoria grinned. "I am sorry for the sled, but I had never so much fun on one day. You made me laugh again. Thank you, Diego." She took his hand and squeezed it.

After Victoria had retired to one of the guest rooms, Alejandro commented on the day.

"It was a good idea to take Victoria to the mountains today, Diego. I haven't heard her laughing so much and seen her so happy for a long time."

"Yes, it was wonderful to be back after we stopped going there after mother's death," Diego smiled. "The skating on ice was fun. It came back to me after a few strides as if I had never stopped practicing. I promised Victoria to teach her how to dance Viennese waltz if you would play for us."

"You have always been very athletic, Diego. All these activities came very easy to you," Alejandro stated. "No matter what it was, be it riding, swimming, running, skating, you exceeded in them all. There wasn't anything you weren't good at. In fact you were always the best." Alejandro stared at his son and suddenly paled as if his line of thought had led him to an unexpected revelation.

"I will be happy to support you with your dancing lessons with Victoria," Alejandro changed the topic. "I think you're on the best way to win Victoria's heart if it isn't already yours. She may need some more time to admit her feelings for you, but in the end she will find out how much you mean to her."

_**A/N:** When I started this story, it was supposed to be a short one with only 6000 words and I had also the ending written. Then I changed my mind about the ending and I got ideas for other chapters, so I decided not to post the original ending that I still have. I wrote this chapter on cold day in spring on the train to visit my mother for the last time. After that I abandoned the story and turned to my Lonely on a rescue mission story. But now it's time to bring all my unfinished story to an end and I want to thank MJF for beta reading this chapter.  
At the moment ff net does not give me any feedback on the readers, so I won't know_ _if anyone read or not_. _It would be nice to get some feedback from you. If you don't want to leave a real review, just say "hi, I read" orsomething like that in the review area. An account or login isn't required for that.  
Thanks for your patience._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Have you been to the de la Vega hacienda last night?" Mendoza asked Victoria when she brought a tray of glasses from the kitchen and distributed them among the soldiers.

"Yes, how do you know, Mendoza?" Victoria asked, surprised.

"It's because you're always in such a good mood, humming to yourself and practicing your steps."

"I do?" Victoria hadn't been aware of it.

"Tell me, Señorita Victoria, is that Viennese waltz really so hard to learn that you need to practice so much with Don Diego? I thought Don Diego was a good teacher?"

"Oh, Mendoza, you have no idea. In the beginning, you start with the basic step to get into the rhythm, and then you do quarter right turns and when you know those, then you make them half turns. After practicing half turns to the right, we started with quarter left turns two weeks ago and then moved on to half left turn, which have a cross step in between. Now we can change between right turns and left turns. It keeps you from getting dizzy so easily."

Victoria stopped talking, replaying the last dancing session with Diego in her mind. Diego had switched between right and left turns while his father had played a fast waltz. As Diego had told her the first time, she hadn't looked around in the room while they were turning but had her eyes fixed on Diego's face, leaving it to Diego to lead them across the room. They had smiled at each other while everything seemed to turn around them. It seemed as if they had been flying and all that existed were the two of them.

They had had so much fun, but then quite suddenly Diego had stopped. When she had asked him what was wrong and if she had made the wrong steps, he had apologized and excused himself with a sudden headache. Felipe had taken Diego to his room and brought her home later because Diego had gone to bed.

"Señorita, Señorita Victoria?" she heard someone say and realized that she must have been dreaming. "Is something wrong?" Mendoza asked. "You don't look so happy anymore."

Z~Z~Z

"I'm sorry about yesterday, but I had this sudden headache and I couldn't continue with our lessons," Diego apologized, leaning against the tavern bar. "Do you have coffee for me, Victoria?"

"You look terrible, Diego, as if you haven't slept all night," Victoria scrutinized him and she didn't know how close to the truth she was with her statement. "I don't have coffee for you, Diego!"

"No coffee?" Diego stared at her disbelievingly. He had been riding all night as Zorro to chase some bandits and he hadn't slept at all. Instead of going to bed to sleep until noon he had come to the tavern as usual, hoping to get through the day with enough coffee.

"No coffee for you now, Diego," Victoria confirmed. "I'll have coffee for you later after you have taken a nap. The room on the right side of the stairs is free." She dangled the key in front of him.

Diego was too tired to argue with her and nodded in defeat. "Thank you, Victoria. You are right I couldn't sleep all night because of my headache. Maybe I can sleep in your room." Taking the key he made his way to the stairs.

"I'll wake you later, Diego," Victoria assured him. "We can have a walk during siesta."

"Thank you, Victoria."

Lunch time was almost over when Victoria walked up the stairs and timidly knocked at the door. "Diego?" When there was no answer, she quietly opened the door and peeked inside. Turned to the side, Diego was still lying on the bed, sleeping soundly.

"Diego?" she bent over him and touched him at the shoulder.

"Victoria?" Diego opened the eyes and looked at her, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember? You were so tired this morning that I sent you to sleep in one of my rooms," she grinned.

"What time is it?" Diego sat up and put his feet on the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"It's after lunch time. You slept all morning. Are you feeling better now? I didn't want to wake you with your headache."

"Headache?" It took Diego a moment to remember that this had been his excuse for Zorro. "It's much better now. The sleep helped."

"I still have coffee and there's something left from lunch too," Victoria offered.

"That sounds great," Diego smiled. "I take that offer. Will you join me for company?"

"I'm finished with cleaning up from lunch, so I have time," Victoria agreed.

After Diego had his lunch, he persuaded her to join him for their walk in the woods too, before he went over to his office to work on his newspaper.

Z~Z~Z

The next three mornings went in a similar way. The bandits kept Zorro busy the following nights too and when Diego arrived in the tavern in the morning, Victoria sent him straight to bed in one of her rooms, providing him with lunch and strong coffee after he had slept.

Victoria liked the idea of him sleeping upstairs in her tavern and being able to do something for him in return after he had done so much for her. She looked forward to going up to his room and wake him at noon. Diego always looked so peaceful when he was sleeping and she was tempted to touch his face to see him smile at her, but she refrained herself and only shook his arm to wake him.

_**A/N:** I had written the ending for this story some time ago, but then I made a mess out of it when I decided to take out the flashback in write it chronological. Nothing fit anymore. Now I decided to keep the writing as I intended before and with a few modifications I kept the original ending. I uploaded the final 2 chapters today too and I will post them in the next days.  
Thanks to all my constant reviewers who reminded me of finishing this story.  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

With a beating heart Victoria waited in the tavern for Diego to pick her up for the Wednesday dinner invitation at the hacienda. She had closed the tavern early today, not only because of the invitation, but also because there was a storm coming up. Her customers had preferred to return to the safety of their homes instead of lingering in the tavern. To prepare the tavern for the storm, she had the shutters closed and secured, leaving the main room almost in the darkness.

It would at least take a quarter of an hour for Diego to arrive, but she wanted to be ready and not lose time she could spend with him. She could hardly await for him to come, and her heart started to beat faster in anticipation of their meeting.

It hadn't been always like this. She had turned to Diego when she had needed a friend the most to help her overcome the memories of the kidnapping. Diego had been there to comfort her and provide a shoulder to cry on. Even after the pain had lessened and she had felt better again, Diego had been there for her, hugging her and holding her hand during their walks, teaching her to dance. During all this time it had never occurred to her to see more than a friend in him.

It had changed two weeks ago when Diego had accompanied her to Santa Paula for the trial of the two bandits, who had taken her hostage and kidnapped her. The two men had not only committed crimes in Los Angeles, but all around the area, and it had taken some time to summon all the witnesses for the trial in Santa Paula.

The trial had brought back the memories of that horrible day, and she had been grateful for Diego's company. Sitting beside him during the trial, while Mendoza had given his testimony, had been a great comfort to her. Diego had been holding her hand and talking softly to calm her.

Then it had been her turn to testify. She had hardly been able to answer the judge's questions, because it had disturbed her too much to talk about it. Instead, she had burst out in tears. Fortunately, the judge needed her only to confirm what Mendoza had already testified without any more details about the time in the prison.

When Diego had walked up to her side to give her support, the judge had dismissed her, telling her she could go back to her seat with her fiancé. It hadn't been the right place to correct the judge that Diego wasn't her fiancé as he had assumed, but it had given her something to think about while she listened to the other witnesses giving their testimony.

Why had the judge thought that Diego was her fiancé? Because Diego had put his arm around her back and held her hand, trying to comfort her? Did they appear as a couple to others who didn't know them?

For the first time in years she had really looked at Diego, trying to imagine him to be more than a friend. Why had she never noticed how tall and handsome he was? It felt good to be close to him and to hold hands. She couldn't imagine anyone else to be so close to her as Diego. When Diego had turned to her, she had looked into his blue eyes, and all of a sudden she had realized that she loved him and that all she wanted was to be with him.

"Is everything all right, Victoria?" Diego had asked when she had swayed a little from the shock of the revelation.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she had stuttered, only too aware of Diego's hand holding hers. He hadn't been quite convinced, but he hadn't question her further.

She hadn't been able to follow the trial any longer, as her thoughts had been in turmoil. She was in love with Diego, her best friend! But what about him? Did he love her too? Or did he feel for her like a brother? What if he didn't love her? Would she lose his friendship if she confessed him her love? She couldn't bear being without him. The thought alone made her feel dizzy.

"Victoria? It's time to go!" Diego had whispered.

She hadn't noticed that the trial had come to an end, until Diego had pulled her by the hand, interrupting her thoughts.

They had returned immediately to Los Angeles, since neither of them had wanted to stay for the hanging. Diego had noticed her absentmindedness during the trip home, but he had attributed it to the trial and the memories it had brought back.

Victoria startled as she heard Diego calling her, bringing her back to the present.

"Victoria? Are you ready?"

"Diego! I didn't hear you come in."

"Something wrong, Victoria?" Diego hugged her, as it had become his habit, scrutinizing her. "You have been very much in thoughts lately. Does the trial still affect you?"

His concern gave her a reason to stay a little longer in his arms. "I'm alright, Diego," she assured him. "I don't worry about the trial anymore!"

"It looks there will be a storm tonight, Victoria. Have you secured everything in the tavern?"

"Yes, I did, Diego. Maybe I should stay here. The winds are already strong, and it will get worse. It may be impossible to get back in the storm."

"All the more reason to come with me. At the hacienda you will be much safer than all alone here in your tavern," Diego was concerned for her safety, and he knew also that she was afraid of thunderstorms. "Pack a few things for the night, Victoria. There are enough guest rooms at the hacienda."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

As Victoria had feared, the storm made it impossible for her to return to the pueblo, as it was too dangerous to drive back with twigs and whole branches flying around.

Staying in one of the guest rooms, Victoria couldn't sleep with the wind rattling at the window shutters, and she heard thunder from a storm in the distance that was getting closer. Not bothering to dress properly, she put on a skirt over her nightgown and a draped a shawl around her shoulders, before she headed for the main living areas of the hacienda.

As she passed by Diego's room, she noticed that the door was standing slightly ajar. Driven by her curiosity, she opened the door and peeked inside. To her surprise the bed was empty, and it looked as if it hadn't been used. Maybe Diego was still up, reading late?

Victoria walked on to the library, hoping to find Diego there. Upon entering the room, she encountered Diego, who was about to leave the room, still wearing the clothes from the evening before.

"Victoria!" Startled, he looked at her. "What are you doing here at this late hour?"

"I couldn't sleep, and I went looking for you," she explained, self-conscious. "I hoped you might still be reading as you do so often."

Diego sighed. That old excuse for sleeping late was now firing back on him. "You were right. I was still reading," he lied. Stepping forward, he opened his arms and enfolded her in his embrace. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine," Victoria assured him. How could she not be all right when Diego was holding her? "It's only the storm." She startled in his arms at a sudden lightning and the deafening thunder following it.

"The storm is already abating. You can go back to bed. You're safe here at the hacienda."

"Would you hold me for a few minutes more?" she pleaded, resting her head on his chest.

Diego did as she asked though he needed to go to his room. He had just returned from a two hours ride with Toronado, riding out to some farms, offering his help in the storm. On his way back, a branch flying in the air had cut his arm. For the moment, he had only provisionally fixed a bandage around the bleeding wound, not wanting to wake Felipe at this late hour for a minor scratch.

Diego wanted to kiss her and not only to hold her, but Victoria trusted him to be only her brotherly friend. He drew back, before is body betrayed him, stepping away from her into the shadows.

Victoria was disappointed when Diego released her again. She wished she could stay in his arms forever - now that she had started to feel different about him. It was more than comfort that she felt in his arms; she loved him deeply, and she wished him to love her, too. It would feel wonderful if he kissed her. Wasn't he attracted to her as a woman at all?

"Diego?" she stared at him.

"I have to go. I'm really tired. There will be much work tomorrow to clean up everything after the storm," he mumbled, unable to control himself any longer. His arm was aching, and he needed to take care of it properly. If he held her a moment longer, he would draw her close and kiss her, revealing himself to her and crumble their friendship to dust at the same time. With a slight nod he left her alone, staring at his back as he headed for his room.

After he had vanished out of sight, Victoria looked at her hand that felt wet and sticky. Why was there blood on it? It must be Diego's, seeping through his sleeve when she had put her hand on his arm. When did he get injured? Why hadn't he said anything to her?

Determined to find out, she followed him to his room. Diego didn't respond to her knocking, and Victoria entered without waiting for his call. He had removed his shirt and was standing with his back to her, bending over some medical supplies that he had spread on a table next to his bed. For a moment she stared at his naked back that was packed with muscles underneath a crisscross of scars.

"Let me help you!" she stepped forward, as he struggled with bandaging his arm with only one hand.

"Victoria? What are you doing here?"

Without replying, Victoria took the end of the bandage and continued wrapping it around his arm. "What happened to your arm? Why didn't you say something?"

"It's only a scratch, not worth bothering. I went outside to check on something, and then some debris flying around cut me in the arm," he assured her, as she fixed the end properly.

Victoria couldn't refrain herself from touching the naked skin on his arms after she was finished. He felt so warm to her touch, and she had never thought he was hiding such muscles under his shirt. Diego held his breath when her hands wandered to his chest, resting there for a moment, making his heart beat faster. Then she rose on her toes, putting her hands behind his neck and kissed him. Too surprised, he didn't react.

Interpreting his lack of response as rejection, she felt ashamed and tears went into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Diego," she whispered, turning her head away, when she lowered back on her feet. "I know that you don't love me. I am not worthy of the love of someone like you. In the last weeks I fell in love with you, and I had hoped that you could love me, too."

"You love me?" he asked surprised, reaching out with his hand to turn her around. "What about Zorro? Don't you want to go back to him?"

Victoria shook her head. "No, and I hope he will understand. I admire him and what he stands for, but it's not the love I feel for you. I know you and I trust you. It runs much deeper than what I feel for Zorro. I can laugh with you and share my sorrows and you don't leave after a few kisses, but you're there when I need you. You're a part of my life that I can't live without."

It was the last strain, and he couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. Diego wrapped her in his arms and returned the kiss with all his love and the longing from the last weeks when he hadn't been able to kiss her as he wanted to.

"Diego!" she whispered, surprised by his reactions and the emotions he stirred in her. She had wanted to find out how his kisses tasted, and now she knew. There was no way she could deny the familiarity of the way he kissed her and held her now. "You! It's you!" she whispered. "Why? Why didn't you say anything? Why did you hide your feelings from me?"

"You trusted me with being your friend and you expressed clearly that you needed a friend more than a lover," he explained. "I wanted to be there for you and give you what you needed. Are you angry that I'm Zorro?" he asked anxiously. "What do you think now?"

"I'm not angry, Diego, only confused. I never expected that." She continued to explore his upper body with her hands, delighted to feel his warm skin under her fingers. "When I saw you in the library, I wanted you to kiss me, because I love you, and I hoped you could feel the same for me."

"And now? What do you want? Do you need more time? Do you want me to stay away from you?" Diego released her, looking straight into her eyes, trying to ignore her hands on him.

"No. I don't need more time. Ever since I realized that I love you, I have been dreaming of you, loving me. I couldn't bear it if you stayed away from me." She put her arms down for a moment, letting her shawl fall to the ground behind her. Her sleeveless nightshirt left her arms and shoulders naked, and she put her arms around his neck again, intensifying her touch, now that there was less cloth between them.

"Victoria, please," he whispered in another attempt to keep his control, "I don't want to take advantage of you."

"You don't take advantage of me if we both want the same! I love you, Diego," she whispered, as she kissed him again. "Please, love me!"

"We aren't married, Victoria. We should wait," he murmured between kisses in a final attempt to keep his control.

Victoria left him no choice and guided his hand to her breast, wanting him to touch her, her lips glued to his. Even as Zorro he had never touched her there, and he felt her reaction to his touch.

When he felt her flinch involuntarily, he came back to his senses.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want that," she whispered.

"It's all right, Victoria. Don't try to rush everything. Give yourself time. Let's wait until we're married." Diego whispered. "Will you marry me?"

"Of course, I will," she smiled. "How could I miss the chance to marry the man I love so much?" She caressed his cheek and kissed him.

"You make me the happiest man alive, mi Querida! Have I already told you that I love you?"

"I think you have said it several times as Zorro," she smiled, "but you haven't said it as Diego. I still can't believe that I could be so lucky to win your love."

"It was love at first sight from the moment I saw you after my return to Spain, and all I dreamed of was holding and loving you." He bent down to her to kiss and caress her tenderly, relieved that she was able to accept his caresses again.

Victoria wanted to feel him and have him hold her, starving for his kisses and his tender caress. "Everything is feeling alright again when you hold me, Diego. I felt so empty recently, but now - when it's you who's holding me I feel whole again." She ran her finger through his hair and showered his face with kisses. "I love you, Diego."

"You make me very happy, Victoria, but I think you should go back to your room now."

Determined, Victoria shook her head. "No, I don't want to. You're right that we should wait with lovemaking until we're married, but I still want you to hold me and kiss me. The storm is still raging outside and if you hold me I will feel safe. Please? Only until the storm is over?" She slipped under the sheets of his bed and looked at him invitingly.

Diego sighed, but he knew he couldn't send her away when he wanted to hold her in his arms and keep her safe. "Only until the storm is over!"

Victoria smiled, relieved.

* * *

_**A/N:** This story is almost finished now with only the final chapter to post in a few days. Thank you all for your patience and your reviews._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Felipe didn't knock before he stormed into Diego's room the next morning. Alarmed by the bloody rags he had found in the cave in the morning, he was afraid to find his mentor seriously injured. Embarrassed, he stared at the bed with Diego and Victoria, her head lying on his chest. Fortunately, they were both covered to their necks by the sheets. Diego held onto the covers, motioning Felipe with a flick of his hand to leave. The boy wanted nothing more than to escape the situation, and with a flaming face he fled the room, closing the door behind him with a slam.

Victoria woke up from the noise and sleepily turned her head. "What's going on?" she mumbled, with her eyes half open.

"I think Felipe was very embarrassed to find you here," Diego chuckled in her ear.

She opened her eyes completely, taking in the situation. Where was she and why was she lying in Diego's arms? Then she remembered the events from the night before, and she smiled. "I bet he was. It's not every day that he finds you asleep in company."

"Though I love to keep you here," he whispered after a while, "you should go now. Take care! I wouldn't be good if you were seen leaving my room."

"I know, Diego."

"Hurry," he urged her, "If you stay any longer I won't let you leave so soon," he grinned maliciously. "And you know what a scandal that would be if we were surprised by servants."

Reluctantly, Victoria rose from the bed, picked up her shawl from the floor and walked around the bed for the door. Before opening it, she turned around and walked back to Diego, the longing in her eyes expressing her wish to stay in his arms.

"Thank you, Diego," she whispered. "Thank you for making me wait last night when I wasn't ready. Now I know that I can trust you and that you'll never do anything I don't want to. "

"Didn't you trust me before?" Diego asked, surprised.

"I trusted you as a brother, but now I trust you as a man. You don't know what that means to me."

"I believe I do," he assured her, pulling her down into another kiss. "You should go now. You trust me, but I'm not sure if I can trust myself."

"Oh. I understand," Victoria grinned. "I look forward to our wedding night. There won't be a problem if I have you for my husband." She quickly kissed him before she headed for the door.

Fortunately, the hallway was empty as she crossed it to slip back into her room.

Z~Z~Z

At breakfast Alejandro was surprised about Diego's exceptional good mood, grinning all over his face, while Felipe more or less avoided looking in Diego's direction.

"What's going on? Is there something I should know?" Alejandro looked from one to the other.

"There is something I need to tell you, but I want to wait for Victoria." Diego smiled at the thought of her.

Alejandro raised his eyebrows. "Wait for Victoria?"

"There she is!" Diego rose from his seat as Victoria entered the room. With a happy smile he closed the space between them and put his arm around her waist facing his family. "Father, Victoria has agreed to marry me!"

"Congratulations! I was about time you sorted out your feelings for each other!" Alejandro smiled at them happily.

"Welcome to the family, Victoria!" Alejandro embraced her. Quickly, he went to his cabinet where he stored his liquor and filled four glasses.

"This calls for a toast!" Alejandro handed them the glasses.

"To the future!" Diego toasted, clinking his glass with Victoria's and after a small sip he took the chance to kiss her.

Reluctantly, Diego drew apart from the kiss when his father started to cough, but he didn't remove his arm from Victoria's waist, keeping her close.

"I guess there are no more secrets between the two of you, Diego?" Alejandro inquired,

"What are you talking about, Father?" Diego feigned ignorance.

"That you are Zorro, Diego!" Alejandro grinned at Diego's surprised face. "And I guessed correctly that you told her, because she doesn't look surprised at all."

"You're right, Don Alejandro. Diego told me last night that he is Zorro, but we haven't talked about it yet. There is still a lot we need to discuss, and I think you have a lot of questions too, Don Alejandro," Victoria looked challenging at Diego who started to squirm at the prospect of the many questions he would have to answer.

"How did you find out, Father?" Diego choked a bit on his drink.

"Everything suddenly made sense after you told me that you loved Victoria ever since your return. I realized that it would require an excellent athletic and superb horseman to perform all the stunts Zorro is doing every time he comes to the pueblo. Someone like you who was always the best in everything before you went to Spain."

"To your future and the future of the de la Vega family! And many grandchildren!" Alejandro raised his glass.

Z~Z~Z

Their engagement had been expected in the pueblo after they had spent so much time together and it didn't rise any suspicion that Victoria was actually marrying Zorro.  
After the wedding Victoria was safe on the hacienda and Alejandro made some efforts to keep his temper in check when there was a confrontation in the pueblo, gathering the other caballeros behind him instead, so there was no need for Zorro anymore. Everyone was relieved when de Soto left for Spain after the news reached the pueblo that California would belong to Mexico as soon as the Mexican soldiers arrived. Zorro's identity was never revealed.


End file.
